Although The Woodlands is roughly 70 miles inland from the Texas coast, representatives with several organizations and programs are working to educate citizens in preparation for hurricane season, which began June 1 and lasts until Nov. 30. 

“Most Texans along the coast have learned to take hurricanes seriously and prepare ahead of time,” said Rosio Torres, media specialist for the Harris County Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Management. “However, some of the more than 1 million people that have moved into our area more recently may not understand how tropical systems can affect them. It is imperative not to be complacent, because it only takes one storm to devastate a community.”

One of the programs is an eight-week course called the Community Emergency Response Team, or CERT. It is offered by both The Woodlands Fire Department and the Montgomery County Office of Emergency Management.

Fire Chief Alan Benson said the CERT class trains citizens on how to respond in various situations and can help individuals make choices that can alter the outcome of life-threatening events.

“The first real responders are really not the firefighters or the law enforcement officers or the EMS,” Benson said. “It’s really our citizens out on the street. Their actions or inactions will dictate some issues, good or bad, that the public safety entities have to deal with—and that can change the course of an incident.”

Benson said he is a staunch supporter of CERT because the training program enables citizens to improve their situational awareness.

“The really good thing about citizen education is that during disasters they’re prepared and calm, so they don’t need to call for emergency assistance for something that they can take care of themselves,” said Holly Steinke, program coordinator for The Woodlands Township. “That way emergency responders can really focus on helping people who are in the most need.”

In addition to hurricane preparedness, the course also teaches citizens about search and rescue protocol, fire suppression and first aid, Benson said.

The class is typically held twice a year and meets from 6-9 p.m. each Tuesday for two months. The next session will take place Sept. 6- Oct. 25 and is free to citizens age 18 years and older.

To register for The Woodlands CERT program, contact The Woodlands Fire Department at  281-367-3444.